MESSAGE FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS CHAIRMAN

Transcription

1 THE SCORECARD Message from the COMMUNICATIONS CHAIRMAN PIMA CUP Results.. 3 Handicap Basics Golf Humor....8 Construction Related Changes Rules Review Mark Your Calendar Contacts Remember of Sponsors MESSAGE FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS CHAIRMAN Unlike the golfers at the Lake Woebegone Country Club, the golfers at Saddlebrooke Ranch are not all above average. As a matter of fact many of us find ourselves in the lower quintile. That includes yours truly. 1

2 Saddlebrooke Men s Golf Association May 2015 As I was approaching retirement I envisioned that playing golf would be one of my activities. I hadn't played too often, mostly on vacation, and I didn't think I was very good. I reasoned that since I was fairly athletic I would naturally improve as a result of playing more often. Then when I actually retired all that happened was that I played more often BADLY. After a few months of playing poor golf like this I realized I wasn't having any fun. The first thing I did was to reflect on my assumption that I would naturally get better just because I played more often. WRONG. After realizing that I really didn't have a good idea on how to hit a golf shot properly. I studied golf tips online, took lessons and gradually since 2009, when I first moved to the Ranch, my game improved. In 2012 my average score was 99 and now it is 90. The reason I am mentioning all this is because I was very pleasantly surprised to discover how gracious the members of the Saddlebrooke Ranch Golf Association are. In the very beginning I think I was rather terrible. By and large I received a lot of encouragement. If I hit a good shot I would get some atta boys and if the shot wasn't so good no body made a big deal of it. I think the most pressure I felt was self imposed embarrassment if I messed up. Whether I play on Thursday or some other day of the week I find playing with the Ranch Golfers fun, the guys here are friendly and supportive. I've played with the lowest handicap as well as the highest handicap players and it's always enjoyable. The only time I don't enjoy myself is when I put extra pressure on myself. Speaking about putting extra pressure on yourself. Mike Jahaske recently wrote an article about playing within your own ability, this means going for your own personal par rather than trying to do something that is risky or beyond your capability. A while ago, during one of the Thursday tournaments I'm on the 11th tee and there is two club wind starring me in the 2

3 face. I'm thinking if I hit my driver which I usually do, and I put some side spin on it the wind is going to blow it way to the right or left which as you all know is big trouble. Instead I hit a three wood down the middle, which is a reliable club for me, and then another three wood over the arroyo and wound up with a five. Rather than going for a four winding up in the arroyo and getting a seven or worse. I was real proud of myself that I used my brains for once rather than some other part of my anatomy. I would encourage all of you to add course management as one of your golf skills. Mike PIMA CUP RESULTS The Pima Cup competition for the 2014 and 2015 season ended on May 6th with the final match being played at SaddleBrooke Ranch. Our guys won their match and ended up in fourth place out of eight clubs. That is quite an accomplishment when you consider that most of the men s golf associations are at least three times our size! Congratulations to everyone that participated! A big hand to George Kramer, who has organized the Pima Cup for the SBRMGA the past two years. When an event runs as smoothly, as this did, it is due to his terrific organizational skills. The Pima Cup has a lot of moving parts and George did an outstanding job and we should all thank him for his efforts. 3

4 Saddlebrooke Men s Golf Association May 2015 Crap, where did that go THE MAN Joe Houk sharing a laugh with his opponent Glen Kramer and Pat Larkey, off to do battle 4

5 THE FINAL STANDINGS CLUB TOTAL La Paloma El Conquistador The Gallery SaddleBrooke Ranch SaddleBrooke Ventana Canyon Oro Valley Saddlebrooke

6 Saddlebrooke Men s Golf Association May 2015 HANDICAP BASICS by Bill Moore A Handicap Index is an indicator of a player's potential ability and is measured by a calculation using the player's best scores. The best scores are determined by calculating the Handicap Differential for each score. The Handicap Index is calculated by taking the average of the best 10 from the last 20 Handicap Differentials and multiplying by Calculations: Handicap Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score - USGA Course Rating) X 113/Slope Rating (113 is the slope rating for a golf course of standard difficulty). Example: SBR Pine Tees Ventana Canyon-Canyon-Gold Tees Course Rating=70.0 Course Rating= 69.9 Course Slope = 123 Course Slope = 133 Adjusted Gross Score=80 Adjusted Gross Score= 80 Differential=(80-70)X113/123 Differential=( )X113/133 =9.2 = 8.6 That doesn't make sense! How can the differential be lower at Ventana Canyon? Because scoring 80 at Ventana is much more difficult than scoring 80 at SBR! That should be reflected in a lower differential and lower Handicap Index. Keep reading! 6

7 The Handicap Index is calculated by taking the average of the best 10 from the last 20 Handicap Differentials and multiplying by Handicap Index = (Average of the best 10 out of the last 20 differentials) X 0.96 Using the above example, let's assume the average differentials for the best 10 rounds are: SBR Pine Tees Ventana Canyon - Canyon- Gold Tees Average 10 lowest scores = 80 Average 10 lowest scores = 80 Ave Differential = 9.2 Ave Differential = 8.6 Handicap Index=9.2X0.96 =8.8 Handicap Index = 8.6X0.96 =8.3 A Handicap Index is portable from course to course, as well as from one set of tees to another set of tees on the same course. A player converts a Handicap Index to a Course Handicap based on the Slope Rating of the tees played. Course Handicap = (Handicap Index X Course Slope)/113 Again, using the above example to calculate Course Handicap: SBR Course Handicap Ventana Course Handicap Handicap Index = X 123/113= X 133/113 = 10.4 Handicap Index = X 123/113= X 133/113 = 9.8 That makes perfectly good sense! Someone going from SBR to Ventana Canyon should have a higher Course Handicap due to the increased level of difficulty and vice versa. Next time will be scoring records, tournament scores and adjustments. 7

8 Saddlebrooke Men s Golf Association May 2015 GOLF HUMOR Four old men went into the pro shop after playing 18 holes of golf. The pro asked, "Did you guys have a good game today?" The first old guy said, "Yes, I had three riders today." The second old guy said, "I had the most riders ever. I had five." The third old guy said, "I had seven riders, the same as last time." The last old man said, "I beat my old record. I had 12 riders today." After they went into the locker room, another golfer who had heard the old guys talking about their game went to the pro and said, "I've been playing golf for a long time and thought I knew all the terminology of the game, but what's a rider?" The pro said, "A rider is when you hit the ball far enough to actually get in the golf cart and ride to it." CONSTRUCTION RELATED CHANGES The ninth hole is now fully restored and the handicap and the course rating and slope that appears on the scorecard applies. The driving range will is now open although the practice putting green is still under construction. 8

9 RULES REVIEW The rules of golf provide for relief, without penalty, from immovable obstructions (like sprinkler heads). However, when an immovable obstruction is merely in the line of play, it is not, by itself, considered to be interference under these rules. However, many of the putting greens at Saddlebrooke Ranch have sprinkler heads on the apron surrounding the green. In some cases, the player may wish to putt from the apron but a sprinkler head in the line of play may interfere with the proper playing of the game. Consequently, we have implemented the following Local Rule. Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction that is in the line of play is provided if the ball is off the green and not in a hazard and the obstruction is within two club lengths of the green and two club lengths of the ball. The player may take relief as follows: The ball must be lifted and dropped at the nearest point to where the ball lay that (a) is not nearer the hole, (b) avoids intervention and (c) is not in a hazard or on a putting green. the ball may be cleaned when lifted. 9

10 Saddlebrooke Men s Golf Association May MARK YOUR CALENDERS June 3 Board Meeting (this has been changed from May 20) CONTACTS The Scorecard: at communications@sbrmga.org Membership: Tim McCauley at membership@sbrga.org Webmaster: George Kramer REMEMBER OUR SPONSORS For 2015, we are pleased to have two Platinum sponsors and ten Premier sponsors. The Premier sponsors are Coyote Golf Cars and Golf Cars of Arizona. The Premier sponsors are Gerry Hause, 10

11 HomeTeam, Robson Resort, Camp Bow Wow, Oracle Ford, Canyon Bank, Outdoor Creations Brake Max, Great Outdoors and DDS Patrick Shaffer 11